Cheating in the Internet Era:

Cisco Security Innovations for

Combating the Exam Threat

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 Session Presenters

Session Moderator:
ƒ Cindy Hoffman: Certifications Assessments Bus. Manager

Panelists:
ƒ Sarah Demark: Expert Certs & Strategic Assessments Manager
ƒ Fred Weiller: Director of Marketing, Learning@Cisco
ƒ Victoria Quinn-Stephens: PM Certs Security, Learning@Cisco
ƒ Mark Poole: Pearson VUE Director of Exam Security

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“If you want the convenience and lower costs that

the Internet provides you for testing, you have to
up the ante on security. It’s a tradeoff.”

David Foster
Kryterion

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 Today’s Exam Security Challenges

Prime
Threats

Brain Dumps
Proxy Candidate
By Item
Testing Cheating
Harvesters

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Key Drivers Threatening Exam Security

ƒ Pervasiveness of the internet:

technology makes it easier to cheat
ƒ Test center corruption [collusion,
organized crime rings, proxy testing]
ƒ Cultural influencers [cheating is
acceptable, fierce competition to get
ahead]
ƒ Economic incentives [correlation
between exam cost and cheating]
ƒ Weak legal protections
ƒ Flaws in delivery channel

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 Cisco’s Exam Security Solutions
Multi-Layered Solutions
ƒ Select single vendor
A comprehensive multi-layered relationship
security strategy integrates ƒ Improve exam security policies
proactive measures and best
practices. ƒ Harden testing channel
Program integrity supports: ƒ Improve candidate
agreements
ƒ Credibility with customers
ƒ Build better exams
ƒ Value to employers
ƒ Enact continuous improvement
ƒ Platform for career plan
development
ƒ Support industry security
initiatives

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Methods of Security Planning

Prevention

Detection Enforcement Communications

Reporting

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 Security Planning: Prevention
Newest Channel Hardening Features:
ƒ CAP [Candidate Authentication Process]
ƒ Photo on score report
ƒ Photo on web to verify candidate
exam score and credential status

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Prevention: CAP

What is it?
ƒ CAP is the capture of digital photos and signature at
the point of admissions by the test center administrator
Why important?
ƒ CAP provides greater
assurance of certificant’s
true identity at point of
admission

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 Prevention: Photo on Score Report
What is it?
ƒ Photo on Score Report is a digital photo of candidate imprinted
on EVERY score report provided to candidates upon exit
Why important?
ƒ Photo on Score Report
authenticates the test
taker’s true identity to
employers & third parties

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Prevention: Photo on Web

What is it?
ƒ Photo on Web is a digital photo of the candidate imprinted to the
verification document showing their current exam score
Why important?
ƒ With candidate’s permission,
Photo on Web permits
employers to authenticate
a candidate’s current exam
score and most recent photo
on VUE’s website

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 Prevention: Exam Innovations

ƒ Increase performance-based testing

Simulations & emulations

ƒ Increase rate of content development

ƒ Dynamic items
ƒ Randomization of content
Forms, items, options

ƒ Practice exams
ƒ Localization of exam content

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Security Planning: Detection

Web-monitoring
ƒ What is it? Method that monitors the internet to identify and investigate exam
content exposure
ƒ Why important? Maintains strong evidence path to support further analysis,
enforcement actions and process improvements
Data forensics
ƒ What is it? An analytical method to detect aberrant testing patterns associated
with test fraud
ƒ Why important? Identifies candidates who fail to meet a valid measure of
knowledge or competence as sampled by an exam
Provisional score report
ƒ What is it? Notification on the score report that exam results may be monitored
and statistically analyzed for any aberrances at any time after testing
ƒ Why important? Communicates to candidates and employers that certificants
must meet valid measures of program knowledge or competence as sampled
by the exam

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 Security Planning: Detection

Web-monitoring and data forensics provide evidence of:

ƒ Where / When / Who…. compromise exams

Detection methods trigger:

ƒ Incident investigations
ƒ Program analysis for continual improvements
ƒ Robust policies and best practices

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Security Planning: Enforcements

ƒ Security monitoring of test channel operations
ƒ On-going monitoring of test centers via
program data forensic analysis
ƒ Test center, candidate and TCA investigations,
legal actions & sanctions
ƒ Test center site closures
ƒ Candidate data privacy protection
ƒ Exam IP protection
ƒ On-going monitoring of auction websites
ƒ Cisco policy statements for IP compliance
on public website forums

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 Security Planning: Communications

On-going strategic messaging campaign emphasizing

how Cisco is working to ensure exam integrity:
ƒ What is in place and working
ƒ What is new
ƒ What is and is not compliant candidate behavior

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1 Million Certifications Press Highlights

COVERAGE CATEGORIES COVERAGE OUTLETS PICKUP DISTRIBUTION
/ Biz
Broadcast
Tech
30% Blogs/ Online
General 16% 35%
52%

Training
32%
Print
35%

155 Pieces of Coverage

TOP QUOTE
“Cisco certifications bring valuable, measurable rewards to network professionals.
Holding a Cisco certification, particularly obtaining a CCIE, gives you an elite status
within the industry. Because of its stature in the networking profession, I value my
CCIE more than I do my college degree.”
Dominic M. DelBalso, CCIE #7311
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 Security Planning: Reporting
Rigorous collection of data for program reporting

ƒ You can’t manage what you ƒ Reduces cheating

do not measure
ƒ Strengthens exam security
ƒ The evidence is in the data
ƒ Emphasizes ethical test taking

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“The candidate authentication program is the

first real security effort since we rolled out IT
certification in the late 80’s, and we are glad
that the leadership at Cisco was willing to take
the brave first step. Combined with the forensics
and educational outreach we are confident that
the program will have a major impact on exam
security worldwide.”

Randy Trask
Pearson VUE

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 Cert Communities Call to Action

ƒ Review Cisco Exam Policies on

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le11/learning_
certification_exam_policies.html
ƒ Use Cisco’s tipline for reporting suspicious content or
behavior www.tipline@cisco.com
ƒ Look for continuing Cisco communication on exam
security protection

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Q and A

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 Recommended Reading

ƒ Continue your Cisco Live

learning experience with further
reading from Cisco Press
ƒ Check the Recommended
Reading flyer for suggested
books

Available Onsite at the Cisco Company Store

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